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Chapter 15:
POWER PRINCIPLE NINE: POWER OF AUTHORITY
TEXT: ROMANS 13:1
Every person should be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God; the authorities that exist have been determined by God.
13:1
This does not mean that all rulers and government officials are good men who obey God. (When Paul wrote these words one of the worst emperors the Romans – or any nation – ever had, Nero, was in power.) But in spite of their errors, sins, failures, and corruption, governments are appointed by God (Ps 75:2-7; Dan 4:34-35). Sometimes God will permit evil rulers to gain power as a punishment to a people for their sins. But even a bad government is better than no government at all.
Anarchy – a complete breakdown of government – is the worst state to which a country can come, for then there is no governing power to restrain any evil.
It is the duty of Christians to obey their government because God has appointed it (vs 2,5,7).

There is one exception to this rule – if the laws of a country or the commands of certain officials are contrary to the Word of God, believers should disobey men and obey God.
See Acts 4:18-20;
And they called them and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard”.

Thank you